'It had been brushed under the carpet': Army report warns that Nagrota, Uri and Pathankot terrorists would have had 'INSIDE support' and orders all formations to tighten border security over 'sleeper cell' fears on home soil

Internal report orders state police and intelligence to probe local terror support

It says that all three terror attacks would have needed 'insiders' on Indian soil

State police and intelligence units need to probe 'local support' for acts of terror, says an internal army assessment report post the Nagrota terror strike of November 29.

The army has also ordered all formations within northern command and those bordering Pakistan in western and south western command to strengthen their perimeter security.

'Nagrota, Uri and Pathankot terror strikes were carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists but none were possible without local support to foreign terrorists,' says the assessment report.

Indian soldiers outside the army camp at Nagrota which was targetted last month

It calls upon the formations to innovate and put a multi-tier security grid in place.

With Pakistan backed terrorists increasingly targeting military camps and convoys, there is an urgent need to target the sleeper cells in India.

While the army expects local police and state intelligence units to investigate the role of local, overground workers (OGWs) of terror groups, a top officer who was privy to the report told Mail Today that local connection to terror was never investigated in the right earnest.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti paying tribute to Army men who were killed by militants in Nagrota attack

'The effort has been to brush it under the carpet and not raise uncomfortable questions about how terrorists reached camps and who gave them logistical support. This needs to be investigated in the right earnest putting national interest over political interest or shying away from asking hard questions,' he said.

Talking of the Nagrota strike where terrorists targeted an artillery regiment, the official said that the target was not randomly selected by Pakistan's ISI.

'SECURITY NEEDS TIGHTENING'

Army has ordered all formations within northern command and those bordering Pakistan in western and south-western command to strengthen their perimeter security

With Pakistan-backed terrorists increasingly targeting military camps and convoys an urgent need to target the sleeper cells in India has been felt

Believing that local connection to terror was never probed in the right earnest, local police and state intelligence units are expected to investigate

Need for investigations putting national interest over political interest, without shying away from difficult questions are stressed

Two teams were launched - one to target the army and the second to target the Police Training camp at Vijaypur in Samba district.

Fortunately for the country, BSF spotted the second team of terrorists as they sneaked in through a rat hole (tunnel) in the Chamliyal sector.

The BSF engaged the terrorists and after a fierce fight the three terrorists were killed.

Sources confirmed that the gunmen, thought to be Pakistani terrorists, faced little resistance in entering the base due to a series of security loopholes and lapses

'Like in Uri, these terrorists were carrying a large amount of incendiary material, chain IEDs and grenades.

Their aim was to set the police training camp on fire and cause maximum damage.

The BSF neutralised them but the recovery of weapons and GPS system exposed 'Pakistan's ISI.

An Indian soldier takes position outside the army camp at Nagrota, where militants fired indiscriminately and triggered a fierce gun battle

These terrorists were launched by ISI's Maj Choudhary from Sialkot district in Pakistan,' sources in Jammu and Kashmir police told Mail Today.

While the BSF succeeded in isolating and killing three Pakistani terrorists in Chamliyal, the other group of terrorists infiltrated around November 27.

'Our assessment is that they stayed in Hiranagar area of Kathua district the next day (November 28). The overground worker network of terrorist groups needs to be identified and destroyed.

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'The terrorists got into a White Tata Sumo and specifically moved to target the artillery regiment that had been hitting across the LoC post the Uri Terror attack (in September 2016),' sources added.

Army sources say local police and intelligence units have a better chance of nailing local support to foreign terrorists.

The Military Intelligence (MI) local teams have also been sensitised to identify local support to terrorists given the fact that several localities have come very close to army camps and in some places illegal multi storeyed civil buildings are looking into army and police camps.

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'It had been brushed under the carpet': Army report warns that Nagrota, Uri and Pathankot terrorists would have had 'INSIDE support' and orders all formations to tighten border security over 'sleeper cell' fears on home soil